Here is a new feature covering tackles per opportunity. We will break down the top and bottom three matchups where home stat crews either hand out tackles and assists or are stingy with them. We can use these games to break ties for our lineups.

Cinncinati LB Vontaze Burfict was back in the line-up this week and finished with an impressive 7 tackles in just 34 snaps (53%). His usage had more to do with his game shape than it does with his role. I fully expect Burfict to reclaim his full-time role this week against the Steelers. While he could return to knucklehead status against a hated rival, anytime Burfict is available to owners he is a must play.

Carolina LB Shaq Thompson has been a big disappoint for owners early in the year. With a great opportunity for playing time while LB Thomas Davis missed 4 games due to a PED suspension, Thompson has failed to produce. With Davis back this week, he is a player owners can drop.

I am still unsure of what the Browns are doing in Cleveland with their linebackers. Jaime Collins has been a beast the last few weeks but he’s still playing behind Joe Schobert and Christian Kirksey. Collins looks to be a two-down back but he played in nearly 80% of snaps in Week 5. Will the Browns play more base defense moving forward? Time will tell but proceed with caution on the Browns linebackers.

In Arizona LB Haason Reddick has made the switch to weakside linebacker and he’s balled out in Week 5. Reddick played in 100% of snaps last week after not hitting above 20% in any other game. Reddick finished with 8 tackles, a sack and two passes defended and looked to be a stabilizing force for Arizona. He’s worth a pickup this week if available, let’s see if he can continue to produce for IDP owners.

One of our top players in the pre-season was Los Angeles Chargers DE Melvin Ingram but he’s started slowly in 2018. Without his counter-part DE Joey Bosa on the other side of the line, teams have found ways to eliminate him for long stretches of games. Ingram’s big game came when he intercepted a pass against Oakland and added a sack. While I hope this is a trend as we move forward in the season, with just 1.5 sacks in the month of September, I worry he may continue to underperform until Bosa returns.

New York Jets DT Leonard Williams added two sacks, in a game where he dominated the Broncos offensive line. Williams has improved his play in the last two weeks and has a nice matchup this week against Indianapolis.

Below are the full IDP rankings for Week 6 thanks to this widget from FantasyPros:

Born and raised in San Antonio and naturally a lifelong Dallas Cowboys fan. I am proud to be "Daddy" to an amazing 7-yo little girl.
I love everything about the strategy and complexity of NFL football, no other sport compares. I've been playing some form of fantasy football for 15+ years and I run dynasty leagues that include individual defensive players, contracts, free agency and rookie drafts. I hope to introduce at least one of you to the joys of this format.